Rajya Sabha passes bills on homoeopathy education and Indian systems of medicines

• Rajya Sabha on March 18, 2020 passed two bills that seek to provide for quality medical education system in homoeopathy and promote Indian systems of medicines.
• The two Bills are the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019 and the National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019.
• The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill seeks to repeal the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 and provides for a medical education system to ensure availability of quality medical professionals of Indian System of Medicine, and adoption of the latest medical research, among other objectives. Another key feature of the bill is setting up a National Commission for Indian System of Medicine. 
• The National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill seeks to repeal the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973. It too proposes to constitute a National Commission for Homoeopathy. It is proposed that the Commission, among things, will frame policies for regulating medical institutions and homoeopathic medical professionals, and assess requirements of healthcare-related human resources and infrastructure.
• Minister of State for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) Shripad Yesso Naik said the passage of the two bills will help the government to strengthen homoeopathy and other Indian medical system streams in the country.